Duncan Keith for Team Canada? The Bench Boss says yes
In today’s look at who is overrated and who is underrated, I switch over to the Western Conference and the Central division. As you’ll see, there are some pretty good players that found there way into the overrated section. Enjoy.
Chicago Blackhawks
Overrated: Brian Campbell – Brian Campbell is indeed a fine hockey player. He is easy to notice because he is such a good skater but is he really that good? Campbell has put up a very unimpressive 46 points this year and is one of the very few minus players on the Hawks. Aside from being the great skater that he is, Campbell has shown that he does not have the same offensive instincts as some of the other top offensive d-men in the league. The fact that he makes over 7 million a year doesn’t help him much either.
Underrated: Duncan Keith – Simply put, what a player. Keith, just 25 years old, has blossomed into one of the premier rearguards in the league. A somewhat undersized defensemen, Keith combines his tremendous skating ability and poise with the puck with toughness and smarts in his own zone. 41 points and a +30 shows that he has clearly outplayed the aforementioned Campbell who makes nearly six times the money. In my estimation Duncan Keith should be on Team Canada for the 2010 Olympics.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Overrated: Fredrik Modin- Modin has been overrated for quite some time now, I don’t think that is a big secret to anyone. He continues to get large contracts even though his play has never really lived up to them. Injuries have largely hurt any chances for him to put together productive seasons and a return to Sweden doesn’t seem too far off the horizon.
Underrated: Manny Malhotra- This was a tough call between Malhotra and the grizzly defencemen Mike Commodore. Malhotra is enjoying his finest season to date and it looks like the career Blue Jacket will get his first taste of playoff hockey this spring. As he has always been ever since coming into the league, you can bet that Malhotra will be counted on to be a solid two way center and play a shut down and penalty killing role in the playoffs, something that he does very well.
Detroit Red Wings
Overrated: Kris Draper- Draper has long been one of the best devensive forwards in the game, but like the rest of his game, that too is on a major decline. With very limited ice time and responsibly, Draper has never seemed comfortable under head coach Mike Babcock. This is clearly evidenced by the fact that he has been a minus player the last two seasons after a string of nine consecutive years as a plus.
Underrated: Jiri Hudler- On many other teams Hudler would likely be a first line center, but on the loaded Wings he is often forced to the
wing. Incredibly gifted and skilled, Hudler has shown the potential to easily be a 70+ scorer in the league, so it will be interesting to see what GM Ken Holland does in trying to sign the likes of Hossa, Franzen and Hudler.
Nashville Predators
Overrated: Martin Erat- This campaign has been a disappointment for the talented winger. Having already been a 20 goal scorer on three occasions, I imagine Preds management would have liked to see Erat reach 30 goals this year. Unfortunately, like many other players in a Predators uniform this season, it just hasn’t worked out that way and that is the reason they are scratching to get into the playoffs.
Underrated: Joel Ward- Having been undrafted and starting his career in Canadian University hockey, they don’t come much more underrated than one Joel Ward. Ward has been one of the most pleasant surprises in the league, making a push for 20 goals in his first full season in the NHL.
St. Louis Blues
Overrated: Barret Jackman and Jay Mckee- Talk about two for the price of one. Why the Blues have 4 million dollars invested in Jay McKee is beyond me. The 2.5 mill for Jackman is a little more understandable because he is a former Calder trophy winner, but he has probably been even worse than McKee this year, registering a disturbing -16, to McKee’s +4. Either way, a combined 6.5 million between these two players is definitely not pretty.
Underrated: Chris Mason- Mason has quietly been very solid in leading the Blues towards one of the more unlikely playoff runs in recent memory. Not even the original starting goalie, Mason has seen a heavy work load since becoming the number one guy and his play has only gotten better.
